


just this once

by messofunfinishedthoughts



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Character Death, Character Study, F/F, Inspired by Music, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24916588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/messofunfinishedthoughts/pseuds/messofunfinishedthoughts
Summary: a collection of short one shots focusing on catra's thoughts throughout moments in season five, focusing on her feelings for adora, her abandonment issues and adora's hero complex, amongst other things.inspired by 'just this once' by mathematicpony.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33





	1. corridors

I throw Glimmer into the teleporter, and a green light seals her in. She presses her hands against it, and it hums, as all the other force fields here do.  
"What are you doing?" Glimmer breathes. Sheesh, Adora's stupidity must have really rubbed off on her.  
"What does it look like?" I snap, clicking the buttons on the teleporter, trying to remember what the clones had done before.  
"I'm getting you outta here." I explain, clicking faster. The machine lets out a humming noise, and the doors around us shut.  
"Good." I observe. "That should hold them." It better do. I continue to click the buttons, trying to find a way to communicate to the Etherian Ship. Adora's ship.  
"Wait, are you--? Are you saving me?" Glimmer asks.  
"Not you. Adora." I allow her a small glance. "Even if I sent her a message to stay away, she'd still come for you. That's just how she is." I say, clicking more buttons. I know now that I miss that about her. I miss her, more than I'll ever admit. A banging on the door alarms both myself and Glimmer, and my clicking becomes even more rapid. 'Come on, come on.' I mentally will the teleporter to work for me, to allow me this one good thing in my life. When I first had the idea of saving Glimmer, I thought we could escape together, and I could tell Adora the truth, about how much I miss her, but the closer I got to Glimmer's cell, the more I realised I could only save one of us, and Adora would want it to be her.  
Clones grunt, forcing their way through the door, and I'm running out of time.  
"What about you?" Glimmer asks. I almost laugh. Like she even cares.  
"Me?" I ask, pausing my clicking. "All I do is hurt people." I admit, looking down. A pain works its way into my throat, a pain I recognise as the beginning of a cry. I can't cry, not here, not now. I shake my head.  
"There's no one left in the entire universe who cares about me." I confess, sadly. I wish I was wrong, I wish that maybe someone did care. I wish Adora cared. But how could she, after everything? I messed it up. I click a few more buttons, and a transmission channel opens.  
"Got it." I murmur, and slide a button that allows a transmission to be sent to Adora's ship. 'Go through. Please go through.'  
A static alerts me, and I dare to say her name:  
"Adora?" I ask, unsure of whether the transmission has successfully gone through.  
"Catra?" Comes the response, slightly shocked. I allow myself a smile at that.  
"Don't sound so happy to hear me." I joke, before becoming serious, clicking rapidly on the buttons once more.  
"I'm sending Glimmer to you. I don't know your exact location, but I can get her to your quadrant. You have to be there to catch her." I explain.  
"Wait, wait, wait. What? What's going on? Glimmer is-is with you?" Adora asks, putting emphasis on the 'you'. It occurs to me for the first time that she doesn't know I'm on Prime's ship. The clones burst through the door, and the pain in my throat burns.  
"We don't have time." I tell, with a heavy heart. There's so much I wanted to tell her, but this is it.  
"You need to get to these co-ordinates, now." I send them through, with a ding. I shake my head, my desperation leaking in my voice.  
"Don't come here, no matter what." I elbow a clone away. After everything I've done to her, she wouldn't be stupid enough to come back for me after I send her Glimmer. It's a death wish for her to even come here to save Glimmer, let alone me.  
"Horde Prime is ready for you." I say, kneeing another clone.  
"Catra, I don't understand, what is--?" I scream out, as two clones restrain me.  
"Just listen!" I shout. My tears leak into the corner of my eyes.  
"Adora...I'm sorry!" I cry, shutting my eyes to let the tears go. I force my hand away from the clones, with a grunt, and manage to get close enough to swipe the teleporting button.  
"For everything!" Glimmer's mouth hangs open as she begins to teleport away. Good. She's safe. Nobody can say that I died without doing at least one good thing in my life now, right? I wish I could have had a longer apology with Adora. I didn't just want to apologise for what happened on Etheria with me conquering it, but I wanted to apologise for when all of this started. I could have been braver, and gone with her to join the Rebellion. We could have avoided this. All of this happened because of me. The least I owe Adora is sending Glimmer back to her safe and sound, and that's just what I've done.  
I fight away some more clones, but they manage to hold me down as Glimmer disappears.  
"Catra!" She calls out, before the sound of the teleporter disappears, and I know she is gone. Mission accomplished. It doesn't matter what happens to me now. Adora is safe, and truthfully, that is all I care about. As the clones hoist me up, holding my hands behind my back, I let a few more tears loose. It all made sense now.  
'Adora means something to you' Prime's voice echoes in my memory. I remember denying it, but I knew it was true. Double Trouble was right. My heart never was interested in the destruction and devastation I'd caused. What my heart was interested in was Adora. Now it was too late to tell her. I'll die here, I know that. My only purpose was to get information from Glimmer, and now she was gone, there was nothing to keep me around for. Strangely, I don't mind. I deserve it, for all I've done. I'll gladly trade myself if it means that Adora gets to live.


	2. post-corridors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a chapter detailing what happened to catra after she saved glimmer.

The clones hold my hands behind my back harshly, tying them with some rope.  
"You will be brought before Prime to face your punishment." One of them informs me.  
"Hooray." I roll my eyes sarcastically, as the two clones lead me away from the teleporter room. The only sounds on the ship are our feet hitting the floor as we walk. It is nothing compared to the chaos that was happening moments ago. We walk in silence, but my thoughts ring loud in my head. This is the end for me, I know it. There was never any chance of both me and Adora making it out of this alive, and there was an even lesser chance of her forgiving me for everything I've done. I could only hope that my apology, as well as saving Glimmer, was enough to make her see that perhaps, just this once, I could be the good guy. It's sad how I don't feel anything, just a bitter emptiness. A little over a month ago, Adora was my sworn enemy, and now, I've put it all on the line for her. Funnily enough, that makes me happy. She is worth this one sacrifice.  
I am guided into the throne room, the clones' grip only getting tighter, as I grit my teeth. We walk down the long path to the foot of the throne, and up the small steps. When we reach Prime's throne, I am tossed onto the floor, landing harshly on my knees. I stare at the floor, determined not to look at this tyrant, but he has different plans. He places his foot at the bottom of my chin, tilting my face up to him, and my mouth opens slightly. For the first time since Glimmer revealed that Adora was on the approaching ship, I feel fear coursing through me. Prime has his head resting on his hand, with his index finger pressed against his brow.  
"The Etherian ship has changed course..." He reveals. I inwardly sigh in relief, despite the pain that my heart feels. I had told Adora not to come back for me, and she had obeyed, now that she had Glimmer. Prime stands up.  
"But your treachery will not save them." The clones begin to chant around us.  
"Prime casts out all shadows, Prime casts out all shadows."  
"There is no darkness that my light cannot pierce, no distance that my hand cannot reach." He raises his hands, as the clones get louder and louder. I turn to look at them, my mouth hanging open, my ears twitching.  
"They will not be able to hide from me forever!" Prime declares. My tail flicks in fear, but it does not bristle.  
"You were beloved in my sight and this is how you repay me." Prime says. Beloved in his sight? As if. Just like with everyone else, I was only valuable to him as long as I had use, such as prying information from Glimmer. With her gone, there's no point to me being here. I stare up at him for a moment, before a laugh escapes my throat.  
"What did you expect?" I smirk. "After all, us Etherians are so very emotional." My smirk transforms into a narrow line, anger seeping through, with that touch of defiance that I have always had. If he was going to make some big speech before my death, then I was too.  
"It doesn't matter what you to do me." I say, shaking my head. "Glimmer is gone, and you will never get your hands on Adora!" I declare, putting emphasis on the word 'never'. Prime narrows his eyes, and frowns down at me.  
"Oh, my child, you're wrong." He reveals, with an evil smirk. His expression hardens, becoming serious, and cold.  
"Everyone has a place in my empire." I stare up at him, confused, as he grabs my chin. My eyes widen, a gasp escaping my lips, and the fear that was coursing through me becomes almost like ice. It holds me in place, making me feel nauseous.  
"You will be of use to me yet." I gulp, as Prime walks behind me. Two clones walk forwards, probably the two clones who had brought me here.  
"I don't understand." I say. Prime laughs.  
"You thought that by sending Queen Glimmer back to your Adora, they would both be saved, correct? You thought that I would kill you for your treachery, but you were wrong. As I believe I have previously told you, every part of the machine is of value. That includes you, little sister." Prime explains. He nods to the clones, who pick me up.  
"What are you going to do to me?" I ask, as I am guided away, with Prime walking in front of myself and the clones.  
"You will see." Prime speaks, and I grunt. Clearly, he's not going to give me anything. We walk away from the throne room, and down some corridors, the walls marked with my claw scratches. A room comes into view suddenly, and my heart rises to my throat. My nausea worsens, and I start yelling.  
"No! Let me go!" I scream, but the clones only walk faster.  
"Let go of me!" I shout as we walk into the room. As well as a collection of clones, there is a green pool in the centre of the room. The same pool in which I'd watched Hordak be reprogrammed. Could he do that to someone who wasn't a clone?  
"Oh, they will let go of you, do not worry." Prime sneers, as the clones toss me forward. They restrain me tightly, as they untie the ropes loose from my wrists. I attempt to swing for one of them, but they are well prepared. The moment my hand gets close to one of them, Prime grabs onto it with a strong force.  
"I am so sorry that you must suffer now, child. But, you were prepared to sacrifice yourself for your Adora. How sad it is, that love is the weakest force in the entire universe." The word love rings around my head, before I am thrown forward. I fall into the pool, sickened by the watery feeling. I get to have a moment of repulse, before I am attacked by electrical bolts. I hold my hands out, desperately flailing for escape, but I am trapped. Prime sneers above me, four clones standing on either side of him. Unable to swim, I begin to drown. The green water fills my vision, fills my nose. It is everywhere, and no matter how much I thrash, I am unable to escape. It suddenly hits home.  
Prime never planned to dispose of me. He wants to use me to hurt Adora. He believes she'll come back. Either that, or he'll take me to Etheria. There's nothing I can do to stop him now. The water and electricity weaken me substantially, but I manage to thrash my way back to the surface. I gasp for air, but my relief is momentary as a sharp pain hits the back of my neck, and I scream out. The pain stings, burning into my skin, and then everything goes black.


	3. save the cat part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> verse 2 of the song, how catra percieves the events in save the cat up to her death.

"I don't fight for the First Ones." The voice is strangely familiar. As myself my fellow clones walk towards Prime's throne room, the voice only gets louder. It seems it is...filled with rage.  
"I fight for my home, for myself and for my friends." Emphasis is put on the last word.  
"Now, for the last time, where is Catra?" The use of my name strikes me, and a word, no, a name, rolls off my tongue before I can stop it, a thought I didn't even know I was having. A flicker of a memory.  
"Adora?" I call. It hits me then, full blast. Adora...I'd warned her to stay away, and she hadn't listened. Damnit, why hadn't she listened to me?!  
"Catra?!" Comes her response, immediately. "Where are you?" I continue to walk up the path leading to Horde Prime's throne; in my subconsciousness, I'm screaming for her to get away. Why is she here?  
"Of course, your Catra. She hoped you would come for her, poor thing." He's lying. I wanted her to stay away. This was supposed to be my one good deed!  
"So all I had to do was wait. As she would have said: you are so very predictable. Come here, child." Horde Prime instructs me. As I climb the stairs I see her- Adora. Blonde ponytail, hair poof and all. The same attire as in all of the recent memories I can muster of her. A frown set on her features, something that feels familiar to me from our three years of battle. I stop walking- or at least, my body stops walking. I'm not in control. It's like I'm caged in my mind, trapped behind the surface in a soulless shell. This girl, this Catra that Prime has created, she's a monster- given my past acts, that is saying something. Fear settles in Adora's eyes, her mouth falling slightly open. My hands move, flipping my hood down, as I greet her:  
"Hello, Adora." The blonde's teeth grit, her eyes wide; she's in shock. Her eyebrows are knitted in fear. Of course they are. 'Hello, Adora.'? What a grand entrance Prime has made for me. But it's not just that. I can feel something else, or rather, the lack thereof. My hair. All I can feel is short, held back strands of hair on my head, but nothing beyond my shoulders, nothing framing my face- nothing apart from the hair on my head.  
Adora stands in a moment of shock, before fear and anger contort her features, and she lunges forward.  
"What did you do to her?!" She demands. Prime's clones restrain her, whereas my legs begin to walk towards Prime. I stop at the foot of his throne, dropping to my knees, before bowing completely.  
"I have made her anew. I saw her mind, so ensnared in rage and grief and pain," He offers a hand to me, and I take it, unwilling in my subconsciousness.  
"and I brought her to the light." Prime explains. "Isn't that right, little sister?" Prime runs his thumb over a bump in the back of my neck- a Horde chip. After my torture in the green pool, I was to learn that I had been chipped, become a part of Prime's hive mind, giving him complete control over me.  
"Catra, you have to fight it!" Adora yells, still held back by clones.  
"My place is with Horde Prime, Adora. I don't want to leave." Yes, I do. Adora, please, get me out of here.  
"Tell her what I've done for you." Prime orders, in a calm tone. My body walks forward.  
"Prime has given me peace. Something you could never do." I put a hand on Adora's cheek. "You broke my heart, but Prime has made it whole again." Despite the fact that I hate what I'm saying, part of it is true. Adora did break my heart, when she left, when she refused to come back, when she fought me without a flicker of remorse...she broke my heart because I was in love with her.  
"Don't you see? This is for the best. I'm happy here." My hand runs down to Adora's neck.  
"You could be happy too." Tears trickle out of Adora's eyes, before she becomes fiercely determined.  
"Let her go!" She demands. Prime's hand rests on my chip, making me gasp out. My body freezes.  
"Shall we make a deal, Adora? I will give her to you, if you want her..." Adora's brows furrow together, as if daring Prime to give her his worst ultimatum.  
"But first, you must do something for me. You will give me She-Ra."  
"Never." Adora states, resilient. To say I am shocked would be a lie. She would always choose her destiny over anything else...even over herself.  
"Very well." Prime clicks a finger, and a crackle emerges from Adora's ear, causing her to fall to the floor, a hand over her ear. A small device falls out of it, and rolls until it is crushed by Prime's foot.  
"You miscalculated." Prime sneers. "I see all. I know all. You thought yourself worthy to challenge me, but you are nothing but a false hero, the last of the First Ones to fall at my hands. You have led your friends to destruction." Prime grasps my neck tightly, and I gasp again. The chip's effect wears off, but only for a moment. In that moment, I do as Adora asked. I fight the chip, causing the green in my eyes to reverse, and reveal my heterochromatic eyes. That way, Adora will know I'm still in here. Our eyes connect, her desperate blue meeting my pale yellow and turquoise eyes. Adora gasps. But before I can even say anything, the green static comes back. My body shivers, letting out small gasps.  
"Go on, fulfill your purpose. Bring out She-Ra, and strike me down." Adora lets out a cry, tears spilling in her eyes again.  
"Ah...But you two must have a lot of catching up to do." Prime says, resting a hand on my head. My body, betraying my inner thoughts, allows my mouth a smile.  
"I will leave you to it." He begins to walk away, followed by the two clones who had escorted me here. "Let me know when you're ready to make a deal." Adora stares after him in fear, before looking back at me. A moment of silence ensues, before I feel my claws sharpen. Just like I'd predicted, Prime was using me to attack Adora, getting her to give him She-Ra.  
I lung forward, punching Adora square in the face, a smile still somehow on my face. I swing again, but Adora moves away, grunting. She breathes heavily, and watches as my leg swings for her. She grabs my foot in an attempt to deflect the blow, but I drag her to the floor. I go to punch her again, before she kicks me- with an impressive force- away. I grab her hair poof, my controlled self glad that her dumb hairstyle has proven useful in combat- for her enemies. She grunts again as I go to attack her face. She deflects with her arm, holding mine down. My teeth grit, and some of my hair falls loose.  
"Catra, listen to me. I know you're still in there. I'm not leaving without you." Adora states. In my subconsciousness, happiness swells in me, but it is a short lived emotion, as a tremendous pain takes over.  
"It's gonna be okay." Adora tries to assure me, as a choked laugh escapes my throat. My arm twists in sickening ways, just as the clones do when Prime possesses them in order to speak. He's in my head, watching this, watching us attack each other. Or watching me attack Adora. Apart from minor defence deflections, Adora hasn't so far made a single move to indicate she wishes to cause me any more suffering. She gasps as my arm twists.  
I glance up at her, before tearing through her leggings, causing her to scream. I grab her around the shoulder.  
"Everything is already okay. We are with Prime now." My hands move, one resting on her shoulder, the other resting on her jacket poof, before coming up to stroke her face.  
"There is no need for you to suffer, Adora." The blonde whimpers, closing her eyes in fear of the monster she is facing. "Come into the light with me." Adora grabs my shoulder, tossing me forward, with a strong force. I collide with the slope leading to Prime's throne. My chip frazzles, and subconsciously, I'm screaming to Adora to keep damaging the chip. An uneasy laugh escapes my mouth, as I fight with everything I've got to get some control.  
"Snap out of it, Catra. I don't wanna hurt you." Adora tells. Just as I'd suspected- she has no intent of fighting me like she had done on the battlefield. She was disobeying what I'd told her once again, and she's come here to rescue me, rather than fight me. My laugh continues, before I inhale deeply.  
"But you have already hurt me." Adora visibly shrinks, hurt swimming in those grey-blue eyes. Prime has set me free of that pain. The pain that you caused." I stand, and move backwards, up to the steps and in front of Prime's throne.  
"He will set us all free, forever. A world of peace, without end." Adora shakes, before I pounce into the air, ready to land a punch on her. She deflects once, swinging back, but regret and fear contort her features. I punch her straight back, causing her to grunt in pain. She deflects my next attack, grabbing my arms, pushing me away. My foot wobbles on the edge. "Catra!" Adora's eyes go wide, a hand outstretched, with more panic and fear than I have ever seen in her.  
The Adora I know, the girl I grew up with, she is fearless. But apparently not when it comes to this.  
I look down. I could end this, all of it...Prime would have no bargaining chip. Adora could keep She-Ra. It seems even my chipped self realises this, and she lets out a throaty laugh, leaning backwards. Adora screams, running forward, and dragging me back. I could almost yell at her. What was she doing? Doesn't she see that it has to end here?  
With a relieved breath, she pulls me backwards, away from the edge...in a hug. For a moment, my body does nothing, but then my claws dig into her back through both her jacket and undershirt, causing her to grunt in pain. Prime's presence suddenly corrupts me, and when I speak, his voice is united with mine.  
"Oh, Adora. How long will you drag this out? You will destroy the ones you love in the process." My body backs away slightly, before kneeing Adora in the stomach. She doubles over in pain, and I drag her to the edge.  
"She was afraid in the end." Prime tells through me, our voices still synced. "And she suffered. Perhaps I will make her my new vessel, though she would not last me long." My eyes scan over my hand, turning it over.  
"What do you think," Prime asks, before his presence disappears and I am left to finish his question. "Adora?" The girl in question grunts, grabbing my arm, driving me backwards with a cry almost akin to a battle cry. Adora drives me against the screen, causing some of the glass to smash, and my chip to again become damaged by crackling electricity. I let out that strangled laugh again, before glancing up at her, with another small moment of control granted to me. I tried to say her name, but only the first letter comes out:  
"A-" The chip corrupts me again. Adora's eyes widen. She lets out an almost inaudible, soft: "Oh." She grits her teeth, with her eyes shut tightly, as the screen begins to malfunction, causing debris around us. She looks around fearfully, before settling her eyes back on me.  
"I am not giving up on you, Catra." She states. That sense of happiness hits me again, and I want to tell her that I really am trying, I'm fighting Prime's control, for her, with everything I've got. But the words that fall out of my mouth are nothing akin to that.  
"Then you're a fool. You cannot stop Horde Prime. He will reign triumphant over all the universe. It is...destiny." As I utter that last word, the screen electrocutes me, and I scream out. Adora grabs me, screaming out a single word:  
"No!" She drags me away as the glass shatters, and explodes. She holds onto me, diving out of the way. The next thing I feel is my chip crackling with electricity, as Adora turns me over to face her. My teeth are grit in pain. Why was it always me getting electrocuted? I opened my eyes, expecting the green static, but I am met by Adora's worried gaze. Her hair is down, most likely come loose from the explosion. I'm used to seeing it down in She-Ra form, but in Adora's normal form? Even I had to admit, she suited it.  
I find that I feel control, a proper control. I use it to reprimand Adora.  
"Adora, you should have stayed away. Why did you come back?" I find myself asking. And then: "We both know I don't matter."  
"You matter to me!" Adora protests, putting a hand on my face. My heart thumps erratically, tears gathering in my eyes. I take a once over of her, and I let a smile, a real smile, form on my lips. However, it is yet again short-lived. The voices, the noise, gather in my head again, swarming like bees. My hand grabs Adora's wrist as I gasp, before back handing her across the face. She grunts, hair flying. I'd grew up with Adora, but I'd never seen her hair down, not even at night. But it really did look incredible. At least I'd have a good last memory of her. 'You matter to me' and seeing her with her hair down...a good enough memory to get me through what I'm about to do.  
I walk towards the edge of the platform, my chip still crackling, and causing me pain. The noise gets louder in my head, but I'm not listening to Prime's control. I'm going to save Adora...I'm going to end this once and for all.  
"Come on, Catra!" Adora shouts after me. "You've never listened to anyone in your life. Are you really going to start now?" I turn to face her, clenching my fists, and gritting my teeth, before I break through Prime's hold, with a smile.  
"You're such an idiot." I state. And she is. She's so stupid, Etheria's biggest idiot, yet it's 'beacon of hope', as Prime had called her, at the same time. And yet, she's still the girl that I'm going to sacrifice myself for.  
"Yeah. I know." Adora laughs, with tears in her eyes. I laugh with her, before it becomes one of my chipped cackles, and I hold myself. The noise gets louder, and I try to fight it. 'I'm trying Adora, I swear.'  
"I'm going to take you home." Adora declares. I look up at her, and a singular word falls out of my mouth. The one word that has been a foundation of our friendship since we were kids, and one that means more than anything to me, even after three years of battle:  
"Promise?" Tears spill down my face, a frown set in place.  
"I promise!" Adora assures me, holding her hand out, her own tears spilling off her face. I shake, still holding myself, before murmuring her name.  
"Adora..." I go to tell her the truth, the truth as to what Prime knows about me, the reason why I said she broke my heart, that she hurt me...I attempt to tell her I am in love with her, but as my hand reaches out, the bones snap again, and this time, it is painfully real due to the chip not being in control of me. I gasp, and groan, pulling my hand back and holding my head with it. 'It's so loud...' I groan again, before my neck snaps, and Prime takes control.  
"Disappointing. Some creatures are destined only for destruction." He breaks his control, and the chip electrocuted me, causing me to scream out, before my body becomes weak, exhausted, and I faint over the edge. At least that went right. The last thing I see, through almost closed eyes, is Adora running to the edge after me.  
"No!" She calls out, hand outstretched.  
When I fall into the darkness, she follows me...  



	4. save the cat part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after catra's final death, she-ra returns with a vengeance...and a new pair of boots, whereas catra...well, she’s just left with a strange encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i saw something somewhere about catra being confronted by death, and i thought it was a really interesting idea, so i tried my hand at it, even though it strays away from the original way i wanted this to go.

As I lie sprawled on the floor, unable to breath, I can hear Adora let out a choked cry of my name. I had fallen off the platform, had she really followed me? Idiot.  
She tries to reassure me, but it's too late. Despite my eyes being closed, I can see a bright white light ahead of me. If it's what I think it is, I'll be damned if I don't go towards it. I let out a final, small gasp, and accept the light. It absorbs me without hesitation, and I am filled with relief to discover that it is nothing like Prime's 'light.' This light truly is eternal, however. It was my light at the end of the tunnel. Or so I thought. As it surrounds me, I find myself hovering. The ground below me is now pure and white, something I wasn't expecting to see after all of the war crimes I committed. I was expecting Hell, eternal damnation, daily reminders that I had lost Adora, and that is what had driven me to the edge. Not a complex of being good enough for others, but simply being good enough for Adora.  
"That was a heroic thing you did back there." A voice speaks. I look to my side to see a figure hovering there. They are cloaked in black, all features covered up.  
"Who are you?" I ask, warily.  
"Simple, really. I am Death. You called to me." The cloaked figure, Death, nods downwards, prompting my eyes to follow the same line of vision. Moments ago, the ground had been nothing but white, almost like snow. Now, it was like a screen, portraying the events on the Velvet Glove. A distraught Adora, cradling my body in her arms, surrounded by clones.  
"You love her." Death speaks.  
"I-" Never one to admit what I'm truly feeling, I shake my head, even though I know that Death is right. The vision fades as Adora stands, her eyes turning blue.  
"You have no idea what happened on Etheria, do you? When you were pulled through the portal?" Death asks. I shake my head at them. They nod.  
"Queen Glimmer hunted you down, correct?" Death inquires.  
"Yeah. What about it?"  
"But she was weakened when the Heart of Etheria was set off. All of the princesses were. The Heart of Etheria uses each Princess' connection to her runest-"  
"Yeah, I know all of this. Runestones give the princesses their power, when the runestones are out of balance, the weather goes weird, etcetera. What's your point?" I cut Death off.  
"My point, Catra, is that She-Ra stopped the weapon. She has always been the key to setting it off. She used the Sword of Protection to destroy the hologram in charge of seeing to the Heart of Etheria's success. Light Hope. In doing so, she temporarily stopped the weapon. She also shattered the Sword of Protection. No princess has ever had the sheer power to destroy something that holds a runestone within it Do you see, now? Adora could not give Prime She-Ra even if she wanted to. Because she had already lost She-Ra. Why do you think, in all the times you have seen the battle on Etheria from this ship, Adora has not once been transformed. Even Queen Glimmer was unaware that She-Ra was lost. Her display of weakness at revealing how to power the Heart of Etheria was quite useless in that respect." Death explains. I look to the side, shocked. Adora, knowing she did not have She-Ra, still came for me, still came to stand up against Prime.  
"You see, Catra. Your time isn't done yet. I've come for you nine times now. But of course, your inheritance prevents you from passing on until your ninth life." Death begins to walk, and I follow them.  
"That would mean-"  
"That this was your final life? Yes. You've burned your nine lives Catra. You wasted your first on maximum dramatic exit at Princess Prom. I will have you know Princess Scorpia almost met an early demise due to the shock of that" Death chides.  
"The second time, you were killed by spiders in the Crystal Castle. Thirdly, you were suffocated by Hordak. That one was harsh. Next, you were killed by a portal that you set off. Ironic really. But that wasn't enough. So you got corrupted by the portal, and then died when it fell apart completely. If not for Queen Angella's sacrifice, Etheria would be rubble. Wonderful woman, Angella. Stuck to the rules." Death says sharply. "Knew it was her time."  
"So she's-" I begin.  
"Passed on? Not quite. I allowed her that at least. Just as Princess Entrapta predicted, Queen Angella became trapped between dimensions. She's been able to see what's happening on Etheria. I visit her from time to time. She makes peaceful company. Poor thing found out that her husband, King Micah, was still alive. Course I couldn't tell her, it's a breach of the rules. She wasn't particularly happy with me for keeping it from her though. But, in the end, she came around." Death explains. My fur bristles at the topic of Queen Angella. Her fate was at my hands.  
"Her fate wasn't your fault, as it happens. Completely her own choice. She wanted to be someone her daughter could be proud of. Funny relationship Angella and Glimmer had. But as shown by her sacrifice, Angella would do anything for her family. She thought of Adora as family, you know.” Death muses.  
"How do you know what I was thinking?" I ask.  
"It's part of the role. Now, let's see, where were we? Ah. As it would happen, your next life was lost at the hands of a very angry Queen Glimmer, wasn't it? Of course, no one could blame her." Death's words hit me, making my chest burn. Saving Glimmer was never meant to reset the clock, it didn't make everything go away. But still...  
"And then Hordak. Well, he certainly wasn't happy with you, was he? Though, I suppose he was entitled. He cares about Princess Entrapta, you know. Clearly, he had a point about your days being numbered after you crossed him." Death acknowledges.  
"And then, you burned a life to save Queen Glimmer. That was heroic. I was proud of that one, personally. And then finally, of course, just now. Though I have to say, I'm quite surprised Adora hasn't had any major injury, from falling as far as you both did." Death stops walking.  
"But alas, it's still not your time." Death sighs. I look at them, shocked.  
"I...I don’t understand. You said I-"  
"Burned all your lives? Correct. But, you are still needed. Not by Prime, but by Etheria. Trust me. You'll see, soon enough. But for now, I will bid you a farewell." Death nods, beginning to fade.  
"Wait!" I call out. "I don't understand!"  
"Don't worry, Catra. You won't remember our encounter anyway. Good luck." Death disappears, as a light blinds me once more.  


I cough, weakly. My head is spinning, my bones aching. I look to the side, and see a familiar red material. A jacket. In the name of the Horde, how had she not ditched this outfit already? Adora is on her knees, my head in her lap. I’m still alive. My memory is hazy but I remember the green static, the desperate blue of her eyes, and the darkness after the fall. But instead of asking what happened, or how I’m possibly alive, I simply utter a weak:  
“Hey...Adora.” I manage a smile for her too. Tears drop from Adora’s eyes as she cradles me, before pulling me into a hug. I gasp, shocked. Adora. After three years of being at each other’s throats, on opposite sides of the war, building our different empires, she’s hugging me...  
I reflect on it for a moment, before tightly hugging her back. And for that moment, everything is perfect.


End file.
